


What Happened to Jamie and Pokey

by written_notes



Category: Eight Cousins & Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott, Eight Cousins Series - Louisa May Alcott
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-03
Updated: 2014-12-03
Packaged: 2018-02-27 23:59:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2711480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/written_notes/pseuds/written_notes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taking place about eight years after the ending of Rose in Bloom, Pokey tries to ignore her feelings for her best friend Jamie, while finding something meaningful to do with her life. Rose, Mac and Aunt Jessie try to intervene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Dora Taylor, if you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late!” Her mother called from the hallway where she was impatiently tapping her foot.

The aforementioned girl rolled her eyes and carelessly stuck a flower in her belt before running down the stairs two at a time. “Come on, Mama, it doesn’t even take us fifteen minutes to get to Auntie Jessie’s house.”

“No, but punctuality is next to godliness, and we mustn’t be so rude as to show up late when we’ve been so kindly invited to their party.” Her mother sniffed.

She refrained from explaining that if everyone arrived exactly on time, there’d be a ridiculous queue just to get in, and that people would inevitably be late anyway. Sometimes it was better just to nod and go along with one’s mother.

They made their way to the ever-welcoming home of Captain Jem Campbell and Mrs Jessie, who were hosting this party to celebrate the birth of Archie and Phebe’s third child. It was also suspected that Mrs Jessie’s third son Geordie was about to announce his engagement to an English girl he’d met on his travels, said Mrs Taylor, who was somewhat disappointed at not being able to marry her only daughter off to one of the Campbells.

Her daughter once again decided against explaining how awkward it would be as Geordie was a good seven years her senior and not particularly close to her, especially ever since he and his brother Will had followed in their father’s footsteps as sailors. Any protestations on her part would likely result in her mother’s favourite diatribe about how she simply needed to lose some weight and act like a proper girl to catch a suitable young gentleman’s attention.

After bestowing Mrs Jessie with a cheerful smile, she managed to slip away from her mother who was gushing about the newest addition to the Campbell family and made her way to the kitchen to see if she couldn’t grab a nice snack and enjoy it in peace. To her elation, she found a few trays of fruit tarts guarded by the cook.

“Oh, Mary Ann, might I just have one tart?” She put on her best pleading expression. “I’m ever so famished, and you know how much I adore your fruit tarts.”

The kindly old cook sighed and shook her head in surrender. “Don’t go telling anyone I let you have one, Miss.”

She made a squeal of delight and grabbed the nearest one. She was about to take a bite when a sudden burst of laughter behind her shocked her into nearly dropping the delectable treat.

“I thought I might find you here, Pokey.” The young man standing at the entrance to the kitchen grinned at her, and she beckoned him to come in.

“Where else would I be?” Pokey grinned unrepentantly. “And don’t act all high and mighty – I know you want one too.”

Jamie Campbell joined her in taking a tart, to Mary Ann’s despair, and the cook warned them not to have more than two each before departing to check on the food platters in the dining area. “What are you doing here, anyway?” He asked after polishing off the tart in two quick bites. “Shouldn’t you be out there mingling with the others?”

“There’s such a long queue to see the baby that I realised I’d have to wait quite a while. And there really didn’t seem to be anyone worth interrupting my mission to get these tarts to talk to.”

“Not even me?” Jamie raised a brow.

“Ah, I knew you’d find me here eventually.” Pokey explained, with the air of someone who is absolutely sure of what she’s saying. “Why aren’t _you_ mingling and being a good host with your mother?”

“I was!” He said indignantly. “But then I thought I wouldn’t deprive Geordie of his last few chances to do so before he goes and ties the knot. Furthermore,” and here he leaned in with a serious look on his face, “I was sent on a mission of highest importance.”

“Really now?” Pokey’s eyes lit up in curiosity, for she could never resist a mystery. “What is it?”

“I have been sent by the good Phebe to search for little Rose’s newest toy, for it is her favourite and she will _not_ go to sleep without it.” He confided in her.

Pokey promptly stood up. “Then it is our duty to find it!”

\--

“He doesn’t seem to find me amusing, although I can’t imagine why.” Jamie mused as he stared at the youngest Campbell, and once again tried playing peekaboo without any results.

“I would have thought that being an uncle yourself thrice over, you would remember that they only find these things funny after they’re a few months older.” Pokey reminded him while smiling at the baby she was jiggling up and down on her hip. “You are so precious I think I want to adopt you.”

“Funny, I was under the impression that I had already adopted _you_ , Pokey.” Jamie reminded her cheerfully. “Though it is always nice to be called precious.”

“I wasn’t talking about you, goose.” She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the baby. “Although I don’t know what good has come out of you adopting me since I was eleven. After seeing what Rose has done for Phebe and Dulce, I think you should be ashamed to call yourself my guardian.”

“That’s a low blow.” He folded his arms at looked down at her from his superior height. “Haven’t we had many fun times in this house, eaten lots of good food and had many exciting adventures?”

Pokey considered this for a moment. “Most of those were due to your mother’s kindness and Uncle Alec’s ideas.” Then her expression turned wistful. “I wish we could go back to those days at Cosey Corner when we were carefree and had all the fun and imagination of children.”

Jamie smiled at the memory before frowning slightly. “We still have good times now, don’t we?”

“Mother’s been getting more and more anxious about what my future is going to look like.” She said dismally. “She has started to complain about her old age with alarming frequency, and the need for me to take care of her, which it seems I cannot do without a husband.”

“A husband?” He stared at her in surprise, evidently having forgotten that his adopted Pokey was now a young lady of marriageable age. “I never knew you had such ideas in your head.”

“I don’t!” Pokey denied and then sighed. “I wish I could run away and join Archie and Uncle Mac in the countinghouse and do sums all day long.”

Jamie had to laugh at the thought of Pokey with a pair of winkers and bent over several books with figures and columns. “You’ve always bested me when it comes to figures and accounts.” He conceded cheerfully. “Perhaps I can persuade the Chief to hide you in the office until your mother gives up.”

“Speaking of whom, I seem to spy mine and yours coming over.” She said wryly.

“There you are!” Her mother exclaimed. “Where have you been this entire night?”

“Pokey and I were on a mission of supreme importance, ma’am.” Jamie smiled charmingly at Mrs Taylor, who returned it bemusedly. “I’m sorry for monopolising her the entire evening.”

Mrs Taylor glanced at Mrs Jessie as if to say, _I will never understand the inner workings of the minds of young people_. Mrs Jessie simply smiled, used to the antics of her youngest boy and his childhood friend. “Well, it’s getting late, and we ought to be heading home, Dora.”

Pokey had expected as much. Ten years ago she would have pleaded with her mother to let her stay over at Aunt Jessie’s place so that she and Jamie could continue to act out the remaining tales of the Arabian Nights. Now she merely nodded and handed the baby over to a slightly surprised Jamie. “Thanks for hosting such a splendid party, Aunt Jessie. I wish I didn’t have to leave.” She beamed at the kindly woman.

“You’re welcome at our home any time, my dear.” Aunt Jessie was terribly fond of the girl, especially because she had always longed to have a daughter of her own. Ever since Jamie had declared that he wanted to adopt Pokey at the tender age of six, she had almost become a permanent fixture in their house. Aunt Jessie had wondered whether Jamie would ever attempt to truly adopt Pokey into his family, but thus far the thought had never seemed to cross his mind.

\--

“Honestly, child, I don’t know what to do with you.” Mrs Taylor cried as their carriage set off. “How do you expect to find a husband if you never make the effort to meet any of the young men around?”

Pokey mumbled something uncharitable about the young men mostly being either dullards or part of an unsavoury lot whom she would not be caught dead in the company of, but refused to elaborate when her mother pinned her with her gaze.

“Instead, you’ve chosen to spend the entire night gallivanting with that Jamie, who insists on calling you by that ridiculous nickname.” The offended matron shook her head disapprovingly. “And that boy is hardly going to make an offer for your hand.”

The rest of her mother’s words were drowned out after that sentence, which was absolutely true and yet something which Pokey had endeavoured not to think about. For, if she had to be honest with herself, she had spent her entire childhood following after Jamie Campbell and had often envisioned them getting married in the future. However, it had become increasingly clear that he would never see her as anything but a close friend – just like one of the boys.

Pokey was in love with Jamie, but had learned to be content with just being friends with him. There was no point in looking for a young man when her heart so hopelessly belonged to another.

\--

It was a regular habit of Pokey’s to visit the Rose Garden twice a week and play with the poor children who were beneficiaries of Rose’s philanthropy. She often found herself heading there when she was in a self-pitying mood, because seeing the little mites whose circumstances were far less fortunate than hers and yet found many ways in which to be cheerful and thankful helped her to put her own troubles in perspective.

This day was one of the days when she ran a few lessons on arithmetic and grammar for some of the older children who had not had the opportunity to go to school like she had. And while she feared she would never become as accomplished a teacher as someone like Mac who had the ability to lecture at length on several topics, Rose had assured her that her lessons were well appreciated by her and the children.

It was just at the end of one of her arithmetic lessons that Jamie found her. “What ho, Pokey.” He called to her as the children ran off to play.

“Jamie?” She looked up and beamed in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Mother sent me around with her latest basket of pinafores and shirts.” Jamie indicated the large bundle he had been tasked with carrying. “I was just on my way to the clothing storage room.”

He didn’t need to ask her to join him, for she gladly rose from her seat and relieved him of a portion of his bundle. “I don’t recall you coming to the Garden frequently.” Pokey mused.

“Where my mother bids me go, I dare not refuse.” He declared solemnly. “But if I had half your talent for teaching the mites, I would join you.”

Pokey blushed slightly, never feeling at ease whenever someone complimented her on her abilities. “I’m sure they would much rather have fun playing pirates with ‘Captain Jim’ than sitting here having lessons with me.” Before Jamie could untruthfully contradict her, she continued talking about several unimportant things.

“Would you like to come over for tea?” Jamie offered hospitably. “Mother was in a baking mood and now we’ve got heaps of sweets. She said to ask you to join us.”

She recalled what her mother had said about her weight, but forgot it in light of Jamie’s inviting smile. “Thank you!”

\--

“I would love to ride back home.” Pokey mused as she stroked the horse’s mane. “But then who would return dear old Dapple to your house?”

Jamie studied her face for a moment. For some inexplicable reason, he felt the need to wipe away that uncharacteristic wistful expression off her face. It seemed like she had been wearing such an expression rather often lately, and he wondered if it had something to do with her mother’s nagging about her future. “You could always ride behind me.” He found himself offering.

“And make you go all the way to my house?” Pokey blinked and quickly shook her head. “I can walk back by myself.”

“A gentleman should always see a lady back to her house.” Jamie grinned, and her heart sank just a little as she realised that he was joking about her being a lady. “Besides, it’s a fine day for riding, don’t you think?” He led his faithful Charger out of his stall.

But just as he offered a hand to Pokey to help her mount the horse, the great beast suddenly reared up, throwing them off-balance. Jamie caught hold of Pokey’s waist and swung her away from the agitated horse, but failed to save himself from being knocked back from an unexpected lashing out of the horse’s hind-leg.

Pokey landed on the hay-padded stable floor, her ankle twisting beneath her leg, and she cried out in the sudden pain. Then she realised that Jamie had been knocked back onto the door of the stall, and was now slumped over in an unconscious state. Evidently he had hit his head, and Pokey ignored the pain in her ankle as she half-crawled over to pull him out of further harm’s way.

Thankfully, Geordie had just returned home at this moment and heard the ruckus going on in the stable. The older man dashed into the stable, took in the situation at once and grabbed onto Charger’s reins, attempting to soothe the animal and calm it down. “There, there, that’s a good boy. Pokey, are you hurt?” He called over softly, so as not to startle the beast further.

“N-no, but Jamie is!” Pokey stuttered in fear as she cradled her best friend’s blond head in her lap. “Oh, Geordie, he’s been knocked unconscious!” She blinked furiously, willing tears not to fall from her eyes.

Geordie managed to persuade the horse to retreat back into his stall and made sure that Charger wasn’t about to repeat the episode before crouching down to assess his brother’s state. “Let go of him, Pokey.” He gently pried her hands off Jamie’s shoulders and bent to carry his younger brother back to the house, vaguely noticing that Pokey was limping after him.

Mrs Jessie came flying down the stairs after hearing her son’s anxious cry for her, and her heart nearly stopped as she saw her youngest boy laid down on the couch, her third son’s pale face and the young girl hyperventilating next to them. “Oh my Jamie! What happened?”

“His horse Charger suddenly got upset when I was trying to mount him and- and Jamie tried to get me out of the way but he got hurt instead.” Pokey recounted as she trembled where she sat. “Oh, Aunt Jessie, Jamie got hurt trying to keep me safe and now he’s…” She couldn’t continue.

“Call for your Uncle Alec now, Geordie.” Mrs Jessie instructed her son, and tried not to think about what happened the last time one of the Campbell boys got into an accident with a horse.

\--

“He’s had a slight knock to the head.” Dr Alec sighed as he observed his youngest nephew. “It’s still too early to tell whether there is any internal injury, but we will keep watch over him for the next few days.”

Mrs Jessie grasped Jamie’s hands tenderly. “May God keep my boy safe!”

Dr Alec nodded sombrely and turned to Pokey, who looked like she was muttering a similar prayer. “Now, let us have a look at your ankle, shall we?”

“My ankle?” Pokey blinked, almost having forgotten about her sprain in her worry over Jamie. She offered her left foot for inspection, and was surprised to see how it had swelled over the past hour.

Dr Alec felt the foot gently and tested the joint before pronouncing it a simple sprain and recommending rest, a cold compress and elevation.

“Oh, please don’t send me back home just now.” Pokey begged. “It’s all my fault that Jamie is now injured and I need to see him wake up before I go.”

Dr Alec exchanged glances with Mrs Jessie, who sighed. “I suppose it is a little late in the day to be sending you home in your condition. Perhaps Alec can let your mother know what has happened. But you need to rest as well, young lady.” She reminded Pokey firmly. “You’ve had a terrible scare today and I don’t want to have to be worrying over your health as well as Jamie’s.”

“I will, ma’am.” Pokey promised before turning her full attention back to the young man lying on the bed.

\--

Jamie felt like it took an unusual amount of effort to lift his heavy eyelids, but managed it eventually and took in his surroundings, wincing at the light that entered his eyes. He tried to recall what had happened before he found himself in bed, and vaguely remembered some incident with a horse and Pokey.

Speaking of the girl, she appeared to be sitting in a chair beside his bed and dozing off, her hand clasping his. Jamie tried to comprehend this odd situation, but the slightest movement made his head ache dreadfully. Pokey’s hand was warm in his, and it felt strangely nice. His fingers automatically crooked to hold on a little tighter, which was enough to wake her up.

Pokey blinked sleepily and saw that Jamie’s eyes were open and gazing at her curiously. “Jamie! You’re awake!” She cried in relief, gripping his hand tightly. “Thank God!”

“What happened?” He asked hoarsely.

She proceeded to remind him of the event that had occurred which landed him in his current state, punctuating her tale with exclamations of relief at the improvement of his health. “I must go and tell Aunt Jessie and Dr Alec at once! They’ll be so happy to hear you’re awake!”

She stood up and let go of his hand to limp out of his room, and he felt a slight twinge of disappointment. It was quickly forgotten as his mother flew into his room with a happy cry and embraced him, thanking God for keeping her youngest boy safe.

After Uncle Alec had pronounced him well enough and cautioned his mother to let him know immediately should his condition worsen, Jamie had regained enough presence of mind to ask her what Pokey had been doing in his room.

“That girl has not left your bedside except once when her mama insisted on seeing that she wasn’t injured herself.” Mrs Jessie informed him. “I believe she thinks it was her fault that you were injured, and took it upon herself to keep vigil by your side until you woke up.”

“It definitely wasn’t her fault.” Jamie hastened to clarify. “Although it was absolutely capital of her to be so concerned.”

“I must say it was lovely to have a girl at home to talk to and help me with all the work to be done in the house.” Mrs Jessie smiled. “Oh, I’m not saying that I don’t think of your brothers’ wives or your Cousin Rose as my daughters, but they are so rarely around, being busy with their own households. And Rose has her hands full with all her philanthropic work, bless her heart.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t born a girl.” Jamie teased his mother. “Aren’t you glad I adopted Pokey, then?”

“Yes, my boy.” Mrs Jessie ruffled her son’s blond locks lovingly. “But even our Pokey cannot possibly continue to accompany me in the future.”

“Why not?” He asked in confusion. “Doesn’t she like doing so?”

Mrs Jessie stared at her son before chuckling. “Well, what are we going to do when she gets married and has to take care of her husband and in-laws, and eventually her own children?”

“ _Married?_ ” Jamie echoed as if the concept was foreign to him, and indeed it was, as he could not imagine Pokey married to anyone, despite her having mentioned the issue not one week ago.

“You should know that the kind of society we live in is not so easy on girls from well-bred families remaining spinsters.” Mrs Jessie lectured her son. “Perhaps someday in the future all women will be able to easily make a living as men are,” She offered doubtfully, “but probably not in our lifetime.”

Jamie had to admit that this was true.

“Speaking of Pokey, I really should persuade her to go home and rest that ankle of hers.” She mused thoughtfully. “The poor child has been limping around the house trying to be as helpful as she can.”

“Is she badly hurt?” He asked anxiously, his mind going back to the accident.

“I’m not hurt at all.” They both looked up to see Pokey standing at the door with a wide smile. “It’s only a sprain, after all.”

“She’s bearing it like a soldier.” Mrs Jessie shook her head.

Pokey cheerfully ignored the statement and limped into the room bearing a couple of books. “I thought I might read to Jamie if he’s feeling well enough.”

“You ought to be sitting down.” Jamie frowned and motioned at the chair next to his bed. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to walk when your ankle is sprained?”

“You were less bossy when you were asleep.” Pokey muttered uncharitably. “Here I am all ready to sacrifice my afternoon reading your favourite books to you…”

Mrs Jessie smiled to herself and quietly left the bickering pair alone.

\--

It was one of Pokey’s teaching days at the Rose Garden, though she found her pupils more interested in her bound ankle than in the sums she wanted them to get through. Rose happened to be there as well, and was chatting to Pokey about the accident. “And how is Jamie faring?”

“Dr Alec says he ought to rest a bit more, but Jamie is determined to run around before he becomes as bed-bound as Aunt Myra.” The last part was said in quotation, which caused Rose to laugh.

“He was always so full of energy, our Jamie.” Rose said fondly. “Why, I remember him offering to teach me to play baseball all those years ago when I had only returned from Europe the day before. I suppose I should have been honoured to have such an enthusiastic tutor.”

“He loves you very much.” Pokey noted, with a tiny degree of envy. “Phebe told me that he wanted to marry you at the time.” And why shouldn’t he, Pokey had reasoned to herself after being acquainted with that fact. Rose Campbell was everything a girl wished to be: pretty, rich, well-educated, kind and loved by all. Truthfully, it did her self-esteem no good to compare herself to Rose, though Pokey had to admit that she was woefully lacking even in comparison to lesser females.

Rose laughed again at the memory of the thirteen-year old scamp asking her to wait for him to grow up first. “It’s a good thing he was too young, for if I had accepted his offer I should never have married my beloved Mac.”

“How did you two fall in love?” Pokey asked curiously, for she had been away at the time when Rose had returned from her Europe tour. She had been told off by her mother for being so nosey about the romantic processes of others, and hadn’t felt comfortable asking other people about it.

And so Rose recounted the tale of how Mac had honestly told her that he loved her when she had never thought of him as more than a beloved cousin, how he had silently wooed her with constant fidelity and gone on to improve himself, and how she found herself falling in love with him herself.

Pokey gaped at the story, very different from what she had imagined. “You mean Mac had to be patient and make you fall in love with him? How did he do it?”

Rose’s expression turned to one of sweet love. “He was constant, charming, and so full of talent and virtue, and yet he never demanded anything from me. Then even though I sent him away, I was always thinking of him, which turned into a deeper longing on my part. And when he finally came back, he merely hoped that I would be a little more willing to accept him – how could I not?”

“It sounds absolutely lovely.” Pokey said wistfully in a moment of femininity which Rose rarely saw in the younger girl.

“Why, Miss Pokey, are you in love?” Rose had to ask, a tiny inkling of what thoughts might lie behind those guileless eyes.

“No, of course not!” Pokey felt her cheeks grow warm and hoped Rose couldn’t tell who she was thinking of.

“Or has some gentleman professed his love for you, perhaps?” Rose continued to press her.

“Why would anyone do that?” Pokey blurted out without thinking, for the idea seemed absurd to her. Rose’s expression became less merry as she realised that it was not said with false modesty but an honest opinion of her own desirability as a woman.

It was on the tip of Rose’s tongue to reassure Pokey that she would definitely find a suitable mate, when it occurred to her that it was well-meaning sentiments like these which made young girls wrongly think that all there was to life was finding a husband, and that they were somehow incomplete or inadequate if they were unmarried. After all, she had had two great-aunts, who while unmarried were two of the best women she knew.

“Well, if marriage isn’t on your mind, then there is no need to discuss it further, I suppose.” Rose concluded gently. “But I am curious about your plans for the future. Do you have any profession you would like to pursue?”

Now, Pokey had actually considered a few professions, but had never bothered telling anyone because it seemed to be assumed – especially by her mother – that all she was destined for was to become a housewife and baby-tenderer. It thus was rather liberating to confide in Rose that while she wasn’t certain of anything, it would be nice to do some work involving mathematics.

“And it seems like you are already doing this whenever you come to the Garden to teach my children.” Rose pointed out, which Pokey affirmed with a nod.

“Jamie offered to help me ask Archie to let me join him in the countinghouse.” Pokey added. “It sounded quite tempting, really.”

“Are you good at keeping accounts?” Rose looked at her admiringly. “I don’t have a head for figures at all, and I used to be terrible at keeping accounts of my expenses in the account-book Uncle Mac gave me.”

“Really?” Pokey found it hard to believe that Rose could possibly be bad at anything.

“Oh yes. I had to ask Uncle Alec for help because I tended to find myself ending up with more money than I had to begin with.” Rose admitted and elicited a surprised laugh from Pokey. “I’m a lot better at it now, but it still takes a lot of effort. What about you?”

“I usually help Mama with the household expenses when Papa is away for business.” Pokey shrugged. “It’s not at all difficult, but we never end up with more money than we had at the start. Perhaps I should start taking lessons from you.”

“Just for that, you shan’t be allowed to have any of my special fruit pies.” Rose declared, resulting in a very contrite Pokey begging for forgiveness.

\--

Jamie didn’t often attend the parties held by the gentry in their town, but had been persuaded by his mother and older brothers to go for the upcoming few parties where several young girls had reached the age to be ‘coming out’ into society. Implied within their persuasions was the hope that Jamie would find himself a nice lass to settle down with.

Mrs Jessie went along as well to make sure that Jamie didn’t simply go off to socialise with his friends. And while Jamie knew that he was fairly popular among his fellow young people, he hadn’t realised before now that a few girls were aiming for more than friendship with him. Despite his attempts to use Pokey as a shield, other excited mamas invited him to dance with their daughters, and he wasn’t allowed to refuse.

One of the girls he’d been asked to dance with was particularly enthusiastic about keeping him company. Lucy Barton was just as fair-haired and blue-eyed as he was, and he supposed that she was one of the prettiest girls in the set. And while it did a young man’s self-esteem good to have a lovely female by his side, he found it rather alarming how she kept finding opportunities to touch him.

“I heard that you were involved in an accident with your horse recently.” She cooed, fluttering her fingers on his arm.

“Uh, yes I was. Well, to be honest, it was just a minor knock to the head.” Jamie shrugged and surreptitiously moved his arm away.

“How brave of you to say so!” Lucy’s mouth opened in a pretty ‘o’ of admiration as her hand found its way back to his arm. “I’m sure I should have fainted if anything of the sort happened to me.”

Jamie was equally sure that she would have, unlike Pokey who purportedly had remained coherent enough to recount the incident to Uncle Alec while ignoring her sprained ankle. Then again, he thought proudly, Pokey was hardier than most girls he knew. He was barely listening to Lucy chatter on about how horses frightened her, which somehow led to a monologue on the importance of decorum and accessories.

He wasn’t sure how she had begun talking about that, but he managed to extract himself from her grip on his arm by pretending that a chum of his had called him over. He vaguely noticed Pokey in his peripheral vision and almost went over to talk to her when he realised that Lucy was carefully watching his departure. Sighing, he continued on his route to where his friend Edward Lawson was standing with a couple other guys.

“James, capital to see you here!” Edward greeted him cheerfully. “Thought you might be indisposed at home after your horse knocked you out.”

Jamie grinned. “It would take more than that to keep me bedridden.” Edward wasn’t one of his closer friends, but the young man was always good company.

“Say, Ed, why don’t you ask Jim about the girl? He seems to know her pretty well.” One of the other men, David Barrowman suggested.

“My mother’s got it into her head that I ought to get married and settle down as soon as possible.” Edward sighed, receiving commiserating looks from the other fellows. “So I came here and thought I’d try and acquaint myself with some of the ladies. And since you were talking with her earlier, maybe you could let me know a bit more about her, unless you’re already hoping to marry her yourself…”

Jamie quickly shook his head. Edward was most welcome to woo Lucy Barton if he so pleased. “Fire away and I’ll tell you whatever I know, though it might not be much.”

“Do you think she might be keen to accept the suit of a man like myself?” Edward asked. “I’ve met a fair few girls here who aren’t actually looking for a husband, and I don’t want to waste my time on them.”

Jamie raised a brow. “Even if they aren’t, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t end up forming good friendships with them. But as to your question, I think she seems fairly agreeable to that.”

“What sort of girl is she?” Edward pressed on, a little anxiously. “Because I’m an easy-going chap, but I don’t think I could handle one of those feminist types who keep on arguing with you over every issue. I get enough of that from my sister.”

“Um, I didn’t talk to her long enough to know her views on feminism.” Jamie said carefully. “But she seems nice enough. Maybe you should just go and talk to her yourself.”

The other men laughed, and one of them, Richard Hall, clapped him on the back. “Jim’s got a point, Ed. No point dithering about here like a jellyfish.” Edward nodded determinedly and set off to find his lucky lady.

David turned to Jamie with a slightly curious expression. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that you were good friends with the girl.”

Jamie frowned in confusion. “I only really met her tonight.” He waved a hand in the general direction of the blonde debutante.

Now it was David’s turn to look confused. “Now see here, aren’t you and Dora Taylor neighbours? Look, isn’t that your mother talking to Mrs Taylor?”

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in, for Jamie had gotten so used to calling her by that affectionate nickname that he almost forgot what her real name was. “You mean Edward was talking about Poke- Dora Taylor?” He demanded, whirling around to look for where the eager young man had gone to.

Richard frowned. “Who did you think he was talking about, then?”

“Why, Lucy Barton of course!” Jamie groaned. “She’s the one I was talking to before I met you tonight.”

David craned his head and spotted the blonde girl. “Ah, so she is.”

“I can’t believe I sent Edward off to Dora, of all people.” Jamie muttered, not entirely sure why this dismayed him so much.

“Well, I guess Lucy Barton is one of the prettiest girls here.” Richard mused.

“But Ed saw Dora Taylor first.” David shrugged. “He said she was looking quite fetching tonight. And anyway, she’s older and more likely to be keen on settling down.”

The other men added murmurs of assent, while Jamie found himself gripped by a sudden sense of dread at the thought of Edward and Pokey getting married. Why, they wouldn’t be suited to each other at all! Edward Lawson wanted a biddable girl to be a comfortable housewife who always agreed with him. Pokey was far too opinionated and needed a man she could respect, which definitely wasn’t going to be Edward.

While all these thoughts were running in Jamie’s mind, Edward had already managed to strike up a conversation with Pokey, who was wondering why this random young man was suddenly speaking to her. He seemed rather surprised when she declared that she was terrible at dancing in response to his request to dance the next one with her, and then when she shared her opinion that it was unfair how girls were all expected to be creatures of grace and poise.

Pokey was finding the conversation a little dull, and was thinking about grabbing another piece of cake when a bit of what Edward was saying caught her attention. “…and Jamie Campbell said he knows you and thought you might be looking to marry someone.” He was blushing quite a bit at being so blunt about his intentions, but Pokey wasn’t interested in that.

“Jamie Campbell told you I was keen on marriage?” She asked incredulously.

“Well,” the poor man tried to explain, “he said you might be agreeable, but that I ought to talk to you to get to know you better first.”

Pokey felt stunned and angry at the same time. So Jamie had pushed one of his friends – and not a very close one at that – in her direction, hoping that she’d agree to marry this man? Did he think she was that desperate to find a husband? Did he actually think that this milksop of a man was a suitable match for her?

But underlying all those questions was the growing understanding of something she thought she’d learned to accept: Jamie Campbell was never going to see her as anything more than a friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Jamie paused in his steps as he tried to mentally run through what he was planning on saying to Pokey. He would be calm and casual about it, and if she was excited about Edward’s interest, he would tell himself to be happy for her.  
  
A shriek pierced the air and Jamie quickly ran towards it. He found Pokey jumping up and down next to Rose – which was quite an unusual sight. “Is everything alright?” He asked, reasonably assured that neither of them was in any danger.  
  
“I just asked Pokey if she would like to be trained by my accountant and do some work for my philanthropic projects.” Rose explained. “And I think she thinks it’s a good idea.”  
  
“Of course I do!” Pokey exclaimed. “It’s a chance for me to _do_ something with my life – something that I like!”  
  
“That’s great!” Jamie grinned, for he greatly admired women like Rose and Phebe who sought to make good use of the talents God had blessed them with. Why shouldn’t Pokey have a chance to do the same?  
  
“Oh, Jamie, were you looking for me?” Rose asked.  
  
“Actually, I just wanted to have a chat with Pokey about a friend of mine.” Jamie prevaricated.  
  
Pokey’s expression became less cheerful. “Oh, you mean, um, Edward Lawson?”  
  
“Yes.” Jamie nodded and attempted to look nonchalant. “I was just wondering what he was talking to you about.”  
  
Now Rose looked extremely interested as well, and Pokey sighed. “He introduced himself, made some normal conversation about the weather or something…and then he started talking about marriage.”  
  
“Marriage?” Rose’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “When he doesn’t even know you?”  
  
“It was all terribly sudden and confusing.” Pokey admitted. “Maybe he was feeling feverish – there’s no reason why any normal man would say the things he did.”  
  
“Well, he did say he was looking for a nice girl to get married to in the near future.” Jamie admitted.  
  
“I suppose he was attracted to our darling Pokey.” Rose patted the younger woman on the shoulder. “And why shouldn’t he be? You would make a wonderful wife. Don’t you agree, Jamie?”  
  
Jamie blinked as both the women looked at him, and wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “Well…that is to say…I’m sure I wouldn’t know whether Pokey would suit Edward…”  
  
“Oh?” Pokey raised a brow. “He said you were the one who told him to approach me.”  
  
“That…was an accident!” Jamie ran a hand through his head in consternation. “Why would I recommend you to one of my friends?” Pokey gaped at him and he realised what it sounded like he had implied.  
  
But before he could collect his jumbled thoughts to explain himself, Pokey turned back to Rose and smiled a little too brightly. “I really must go back and tell Mama all about your kind offer. Thank you so much!”  
  
“We’ll be glad to have you working with us.” Rose assured her and sent her off with a smile, waiting for her to disappear before rounding on Jamie. “What was all that about, Jamie Campbell? Did you actually tell one of your friends to propose to Pokey?”  
  
“It was an accident, Rose, I swear!” Jamie insisted. “I thought he was talking about some other girl! I would never have told him to go for it if I’d known he was talking about Pokey!”  
  
“Why not?” Rose asked, which took Jamie so off guard that he sank down into the nearest chair. “Is there something wrong with her?”  
  
“Of course not!” Jamie bristled at the idea. “She’s a capital girl!” Rose gave him a pointed look. “But a chap like Edward Lawson doesn’t deserve to have her. He’s too…dull.”  
  
“I see.” Rose nodded gravely. “What you mean is that if a young man who was perfectly kind and interesting wanted to pursue Pokey, you would give him your blessing?”  
  
“No, I don’t want her to marry anyone.” Jamie blurted out without thinking.  
  
“Why not?” Rose repeated, hoping for some indication of his feelings.  
  
But Jamie wasn’t really sure of anything at this point. “I don’t know. I like things the way they are now. And if Pokey really does get married, we won’t be able to have as much fun as we do now, will we?”  
  
\--  
  
Pokey wiped furiously at her damp eyes, angry at herself for getting so upset about Jamie. She wasn’t really certain of what to think anymore. She was so deep in thought that she bumped into a familiar someone who was just arriving at the Garden.  
  
“Hello, Pokey. Haven’t seen you in a while.” Mac Campbell greeted her cheerfully, before noticing the state of her face. “Pokey, is something wrong?”  
  
“Mac!” Pokey was startled. “I…why would anything be wrong? Rose just offered me a chance to work for her in accounting. I suppose she’s told you all about it.”  
  
But Mac wasn’t fooled by her false cheeriness. “I might not be your best friend, like Jamie is, but if you give this old chap a chance, I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”  
  
Normally Pokey would have just shrugged it off, but the mention of Jamie’s name set her emotions running. Knowing that Mac was the sort of person who would keep secrets even from Rose if he had to, Pokey gave in and told him what had happened and how she felt. It was convoluted and probably hard to understand, but Mac just took it all in sombrely.  
  
“What are you going to do about it?” Mac asked her gently.  
  
“I suppose there’s nothing to be done.” Pokey shrugged helplessly.  
  
Mac frowned slightly. “Have you thought of just being honest with Jamie about how you feel?”  
  
“I…I know he doesn’t feel the same way about me.” Pokey said miserably. “And I don’t want our friendship to be ruined by my telling him. He would just feel bad about not loving me back, and try to pretend it never happened.”  
  
“I think you might be judging my cousin poorly if you think he would brush it aside so easily.” Mac commented. “All the same, perhaps you should go home and have a rest from all this excitement. Time is a good teacher, and you may find that you’ll change your mind later.”  
  
Pokey looked politely incredulous, but thanked Mac for taking the time to listen to her and left feeling a little better.  
  
\--  
  
When Pokey started training under Rose’s accountant, an honest and firm man by the name of Mr Snowden, she found that it wasn’t exactly what she had expected it to be like. Instead of literally sitting in the countinghouse and burying herself in figures, she was given several lectures by Mr Snowden and Rose about the various projects that they ran and what kind of expenses each project entailed.  
  
She had to spend a considerable amount of time learning what it was the projects provided for the needy, so as to know what they were expected to account for and what could be relegated to goodwill offerings from kind donors. It made her head spin with all the new information, but she was determined to show Rose that she could do a good job.  
  
As a result, Pokey’s visits to Mrs Jessie’s house became a lot less frequent, and Jamie was surprised at how much he missed her presence. Archie had also started to give Jamie responsibilities at the family business, saying that at the age of 21 he ought to begin learning the ropes. Jamie knew it wasn’t good for a man (or woman) to be idle and simply a gentleman of leisure, going from party to party.  
  
Still, it didn’t stop him from wishing he had more time to spend with Pokey. He wondered for a bit why Pokey’s absence was so keenly felt. After all, he hadn’t been too devastated when they were kids and she had had to move away because of her father’s work. Mrs Jessie noticed her son’s change in demeanour, and wasn’t too sure whether to attribute it to his being tired from work or Edward Lawson’s interest in Pokey (which she heard from an excited Mrs Taylor).  
  
“I worry about all my boys, but perhaps the most for him, because he’s my baby.” Aunt Jessie confided in Rose one afternoon when her niece came over to visit.  
  
“And what do you think of him and Pokey?” Rose asked curiously. She remembered how Aunt Jessie hadn’t been too happy about Archie falling for Phebe, but of course, Pokey wasn’t an orphan from the poorhouse.  
  
“Pokey has been coming to our house since she was a tiny thing – she’s like a daughter to me.” Aunt Jessie smiled fondly. “It would make me happy to see her and Jamie get married. But if I have learnt anything from watching Archie pine after Phebe, it’s that I want my sons to be in love and happy with whomever they marry. Jamie could bring back the daughter of the local butcher, and as long as she was a good, God-fearing girl who loves and respects him, I would welcome her with open arms.”  
  
“I think that Pokey does have feelings for our Jamie.” Rose told Aunt Jessie. “But Jamie doesn’t seem to feel the same way.”  
  
“They wouldn’t be the first people to go from being good friends to lovers.” Aunt Jessie said with a knowing smile at Rose. “I just hope they find happiness in each other.”  
  
\--  
  
Rose was a little alarmed by how enthusiastically Pokey was working for her projects. The girl was getting involved in as much work as Mr Snowden could comfortably allow her to do, and Rose was honestly worried that Pokey might be running herself ragged at the rate she was going. After discussing this with Uncle Alec and Mac, she approached Pokey herself with a plan.  
  
She explained how there were a couple of the orphans in the Garden who weren’t thriving despite their care, and how she thought it would be nice if they could be brought to Cosey Corner and given the same wholesome ‘treatment’ that did Rose, Mac and Dulce good all those years ago.  
  
“But why would you want me to go?” Pokey was confused. “Shouldn’t I be staying here to work with Mr Snowden?”  
  
Rose smiled and shook her head. “I think you’ve been doing a lot of work with the accounts lately, and I thought it might be a good experience for you to take a rest with the children.” Pokey was about to protest, so Rose continued. “And I find that it helps to remind us of who we are helping and what their needs are.”  
  
When Rose put it like that, Pokey found it very difficult to say no. And so off she went with Rose and two orphans to Cosey Corner, secretly pleased at the chance to revisit her childhood holiday venue. The moment she reached the familiar mountain farm a large smile formed on her face, and she breathed in the fresh air. It was good to be back.  
  
\--  
  
It was easier for Mrs Jessie to arrange for Jamie to go to Cosey Corner with her. All she had to do was explain that she wanted to visit the familiar spot and wanted her son to accompany her. Jamie was fairly happy to visit the place and take a break from work, which Archie couldn’t deny him because it was their mother’s request.  
  
Once they were there, Jamie was pleasantly surprised to find Rose and Pokey there with a little boy and girl who had been coaxed into joining the Cosey Corner Light Infantry. Pokey herself didn’t seem quite as pleased to see him, but they soon found themselves happily discussing their experience as superb brigadiers as they strolled around the mountain side.  
  
“Remember when you fell into the pool and I jumped in heroically to save you?” Jamie recalled.  
  
“No, but I remember people telling me about that.” Pokey mused. “And I doubt a six-year old boy could save a chubby four-year old floundering around in a pool.” Jamie looked rather offended at this aspersion cast on his capabilities at that tender age. “I’d better watch my step this time around.”  
  
“Why, Pokey, don’t you think I’ve grown up enough to save you properly if the need arises?” Jamie folded his arms and raised a brow at her.  
  
Pokey paused and looked at the tall blond boy – no, young man standing next to her, all handsome and confident. She had spent the past month or so distancing herself from Jamie, and yet all it took was one day together to remind her that how hopelessly in love with him she was. She tried to put it away from her mind as they continued joking around, until Jamie mistakenly brought up the topic of Edward Lawson.  
  
When she finally couldn’t take his questioning and demanded to know what his problem was, she was taken aback as he admitted how he really felt about it. “I don’t want you to marry him.”  
  
“Why not?” Her heart gave a tiny leap.  
  
“Well…” He scratched his head. “You and Edward are definitely not suited to each other.”  
  
Pokey’s face fell slightly. “Maybe one day I’ll find someone more suited to me – and maybe he will meet with your approval then.”  
  
“But that’s not- I don’t like the idea of you marrying anyone.” Jamie protested childishly. When she gave him a confused look, he continued giving excuses. “You would be all busy with your family, and we wouldn’t be able to have fun like we do now. And you wouldn’t have time to visit my mother, or continue with your work with Rose…”  
  
“That’s not true, and you know it, Jamie Campbell.” Pokey said tiredly. “Getting married would not stop any of those things, because you’re my best friend.”  
  
Jamie looked rather ashamed of himself and nodded. “You’re right Pokey. Forgive me for being such a childish fool?” He spread his arms and enveloped her in one of his customary bear hugs. But Pokey felt her heart racing from the contact and quickly stepped back. Jamie was rather hurt by this apparent rejection of his apology. “Are you still angry with me?”  
  
“I…I can’t.” She waved a hand vaguely between them.  
  
“Pokey, what’s wrong?” He caught hold of her hands and looked at her in concern.  
  
Suddenly Mac’s advice came rushing to her in that moment, and she blurted out, “I love you, Jamie.”  
  
A hint of confusion flitted across his face before he smiled. “Aw, I love you too, Pokey!” He grinned and made as if to hug her when he saw the expression of despair she wore.  
  
“No, Jamie.” She took in a deep breath and shook her head. “I mean, I’m in love with you.”  
  
He stared at her in shock. He could tell from her tone that she wasn’t joking with him, but didn’t know how to respond. Pokey, who had always been just a close friend was now suddenly seen in an entirely different manner. “How can this be?” He managed to ask despite being utterly stunned.  
  
Pokey shrugged sadly. “You’ve always been the most important boy in my life, and I don’t know how or why, but I just grew to love you more until I felt I couldn’t live without you.” She looked up and saw the dismay in his face, and her heart sank. “I know you don’t feel the same way, but I just had to let you know the truth. And I promise not to bother you about it ever again.” She gave him a weak smile. “I should be getting back to Rose now.”  
  
And thus she fled, leaving him behind to wonder how his life had been turned upside down with just those few words.  
  
\--  
  
For the next few weeks, Pokey avoided Jamie like the plague, only visiting Mrs Jessie when she knew Jamie would be out at work. Whether that was necessary was unclear, since Jamie didn’t seem to be making any effort to see her anyway.  
  
Jamie was having a hard time trying to reconcile what Pokey had said with how he viewed her. He had never considered her in a romantic light before, and her confession of love for him was staggering. He had briefly considered forgetting she had ever said it, but knew that that would be both dishonest to himself and disrespectful to her.  
  
In fact, now the idea of Pokey as a lover was entrenched in his mind, as he often found himself thinking about her as such. The analytical part of him wondered whether his reaction would have been the same regardless of which girl confessed to him. But then he recalled having inklings of other young girls’ feelings for him over the past couple of years, and knew that he hadn’t ever felt the same way about them.  
  
Some girls had made overt attempts to get close to him with romantic notions in mind and had obviously not succeeded. And yet Pokey ‘s single confession constantly permeated his thoughts even though she hadn’t done anything to encourage them. Every memory of her now pointed to her cheerful, kind and lovable nature, her humility in admitting her faults and her strength to help him with his.  
  
The next time he saw her was at Geordie’s wedding, which Pokey could not miss even if she wanted to avoid meeting Jamie.  
  
Her mother was happily unaware of her awkward confession, and insisted on buying her a new dress for the occasion, still in hope that a suitable young gentleman would catch notice of her, despite it being another couple’s special day. Pokey had complied, since she had already upset her mother earlier by insisting that she wasn’t interested in Edward Lawson.  
  
The ceremony was beautiful, and Pokey manfully refrained from crying as the bride and groom recited their vows to love and cherish each other in the sight of God and man for the rest of their lives. As she watched, her gaze kept sliding towards Jamie, who looked even more handsome than she remembered. It was surprising how much it hurt to think that she would never be in that position with him.  
  
There was a party after the ceremony held on the hill, and Jamie kept looking around until he managed to catch sight of Pokey. And after not seeing her for what felt like forever, it hit him just how pretty she looked with her chestnut curly hair framing her smiling face and her new blue dress. He had always known that Pokey was pleasant-looking, but he had never thought of her as _pretty_ until this moment.  
  
She was happily chatting to one of Geordie and Will’s sailor mates, a rather tanned young man not much older than Jamie, and he felt a wave of jealousy that shocked him. Since when had he thought of Pokey as a girl who belonged at his side? Was he actually falling in love with her?  
  
The question haunted him for the next few days. Then he happened to meet Edward Lawson at another house party, and the young man ruefully explained how Miss Dora Taylor had kindly but firmly set him straight about the matter. “She was awfully nice about it.” Edward sighed, bearing no ill will to her.  
  
Jamie felt like cheering when he heard that Pokey had rejected Edward, but remembered to be sympathetic towards his friend. “That’s too bad. Any girl would be lucky to have you as a husband.” He tried to console his friend.  
  
Edward smiled weakly. “Well, I suppose it’s my fault for pursuing a girl who is more interested in a _job_ than in getting married.”  
  
“Her job?” Jamie echoed in confusion. He’d been certain that the reason for Pokey’s rejection was her love for him – a fact which now filled him with an odd sense of delight.  
  
“She explained how she has been doing some accounting work for your cousin’s good projects that help the needy.” Edward shrugged. “And she said she wasn’t interested in getting married at this stage of her life, and that I ought to find a girl who is.”  
  
“Oh.” Jamie was rather at a loss for words. He knew that Pokey was an honest person, so was her work the main reason for remaining single? Had she somehow gotten rid of any romantic attachment she’d felt towards him?  
  
\--  
  
Little Rose giggled madly as her short legs ran as quickly as they could to prevent her being caught by Pokey, who was acting as the big dragon preying on an unsuspecting princess. One of the reasons why Pokey loved visiting Mrs Jessie’s house was the opportunity to play with Phebe’s children when she brought them over for Grandma to spoil. Little Charlie had not reached the age where boys decide that girls are too boring to play with, and was running around with Pokey and his younger sister, while their baby brother was nestled in Phebe’s arms while their mother talked to Mrs Jessie on the patio.  
  
“I’m coming to get you!” Pokey warned Little Rose as she pretended to breathe fire, and the tiny girl ran away while Charlie waved a wooden sword around, as valiant as any six-year old boy would be when defending his sister. A particularly enthusiastic movement sent the sword sailing in the air, and Charlie gave a cry of surprise as it arced beautifully and fell into the pond.  
  
“Wose got it!” Little Rose cried out and toddled over to the pond, forgetting that her mama had warned her about staying away from it as she couldn’t swim.  
  
“I’ll get it!” Charlie chased after her, determined to retrieve his sword by himself.  
  
“Rose, no!” Pokey gasped in horror as the little girl fell into the pond in an attempt to grab the sword. Behind her, she could hear Phebe and Mrs Jessie cry out in dismay as Rose disappeared under the water, and again when Charlie followed after her.  
  
Pokey ran toward the pond and promptly jumped in, frantically swimming around with her eyes wide open despite the stinging pond water as she tried to find Rose. A tell-tale flash of pink in the corner of her vision was enough to indicate Rose’s location, and she swam over to fish the little girl up to the surface.  
  
Phebe had reached the pond by now and held out her arms to take her daughter from Pokey, fussing over the little girl who was coughing and spluttering. Pokey then glanced around for Charlie, and spotted him clinging onto the wooden sword, which was not big enough to keep him properly afloat. She quickly swam over to him and rescued him, although it was clear from his expression that he didn’t find her actions necessary.  
  
Mrs Jessie carried Charlie from Pokey’s arms and started reminding him why he wasn’t supposed to go diving in ponds until his father had taught him how to swim. Pokey was about to climb up the bank when she slipped and sank back in. She discovered that her foot was caught by some of the rooted plants at the base of the pond, and tried tugging at it, to no avail. Now, she was not by any means a tall girl and was thus unable to keep her entire head above the water while doing this, and it was getting hard to breathe properly.  
  
Suddenly, she was vaguely aware of another splash, and found a second pair of hands deftly untangling her foot from the plants. She was already feeling lightheaded from all the excitement and water going into her nose, but thankfully the person put an arm around her waist and hauled her up to the surface.  
  
When an anxious Mrs Jessie had helped to pull her onto the grass, Pokey took several gulps of sweet air and looked around for her mysterious helper. To her surprise, Jamie hoisted himself up onto the bank in one smooth move and promptly made his way on his knees next to her. “Pokey, are you alright?” He asked worriedly.  
  
Pokey coughed and tried to rid her mouth of the awful pond water taste. “I’m okay. What about Rose and Charlie?”  
  
“They are unharmed, thank God.” Mrs Jessie sighed in relief and gestured to Phebe, who was currently hugging her children close to her, even though they were getting her wet.  
  
“What happened?” Jamie asked his mother, though his eyes were trained on the soaking wet girl next to him.  
  
“The children fell into the pond by accident, and Pokey bravely dived in to rescue them!” Mrs Jessie enthused.  
  
“Thank you, Pokey.” Phebe said quietly. “Rose and Charlie might have drowned if you hadn’t reached them in time.”  
  
“It was my fault.” Pokey shook her head. “I shouldn’t have let them play so close to the pond at all.”  
  
Phebe fixed her with a stern look. “It was an accident, and you saved my children.”  
  
Pokey wanted to protest but was overcome by a series of sneezes, and she was acutely aware that she was shivering as the wind blew. Jamie seized his jacket, which he had shucked before jumping in, and put it gently around her shoulders. “You’re going to catch a head cold.” He sighed.  
  
“I’ll be fine.” Pokey insisted stubbornly, and then proceeded to ruin her statement by sneezing thrice in a row.  
  
“What am I thinking?” Mrs Jessie wrung her hands. “We need to get all of you in before you freeze to death!” Phebe was already leading her children to the house.  
  
Pokey attempted to get up even though her ankle hurt a little, and gave a squeak of surprise when Jamie scooped her up and carried her towards the house. “I can walk!” She scowled at him, hating how good it felt to be in his arms.  
  
“This is quicker.” Jamie replied firmly, secretly revelling in the feeling of having her so close to him. She quieted down and he took the opportunity to praise her for her bravery in saving his nephew and niece. It embarrassed Pokey, and was especially distressing since she had been doing her best to ignore him for the past month in hopes that her love for him would fade away, but it was impossible to do so now.  
  
“I don’t have any clothes that will fit you properly, my dear.” Mrs Jessie fretted as she hurried to her cupboard to search, for her own matronly figure was much more rounded after having four children and plenty of good food.  
  
“That’s okay, Aunt Jessie.” Pokey shivered and then tensed up when Jamie pulled the towel more tightly around her shoulders. “I can just go home and get my own dry clothes.”  
  
“If we send you back in the horse-cart like this, you will certainly catch a cold in that breeze, young lady.” Mrs Jessie said sternly. “You will just have to make do with what I have.”  
  
Pokey eyed Mrs Jessie’s current dress with apprehension, and Jamie smothered a laugh. “Or she could wear some of my old things from when I was smaller.”  
  
“Wear _your_ clothes?” Pokey and Mrs Jessie said simultaneously. “She can’t wear boy’s clothes, Jamie.”  
  
“It’s just for her to stay dry and comfortable in, and we’ll wrap her up in a coat before sending her home.” Jamie shrugged, feeling like it wasn’t really a big deal as long as no one saw Pokey dressed inappropriately. After all, she’d done it a few times when they were kids.  
  
“Maybe I should just go home.” Pokey tried again.  
  
“Come on, Pokey. Stop being so priggish.” Jamie entreated and disappeared to find something suitable.  
  
\--  
  
Even though the shirt and trousers were quite old (worn by Jamie about five years ago), they still held Jamie’s scent, and it felt quite heady when she wore it. Pokey sighed as she remembered Jamie’s look of dismay when she admitted to being in love with him, and nearly took the clothes off again. But common sense told her to keep them on and get home as quickly as she could.  
  
“Jamie will send you home in the carriage, my dear.” Mrs Jessie smiled as she wrapped the girl in a large overcoat. “Thank goodness John returned with it sooner than we expected.”  
  
“And thank you for saving my children.” Phebe repeated, enveloping the surprised Pokey in a warm hug. “I don’t know how I can repay you for this.”  
  
“It was nothing.” Pokey mumbled embarrassedly, and hurried outside where Jamie was waiting outside the carriage. He extended a hand and she automatically placed hers in it as he helped her into the carriage. “You don’t need to personally send me home.”  
  
“It’s no problem at all.” Jamie said sincerely and stepped into the carriage.  
  
Pokey shifted as far away from him as she could, which wasn’t an easy feat. Jamie sighed and placed a hand on her arm that was meant to be reassuring. But she flinched at his touch which sent tingles up her arm, and jerked away.  
  
“Pokey, why are you pulling away from me?” He asked, hurt in his tone.  
  
“I- I can’t do this, Jamie!” She burst out desperately. “I already told you that I’m in love with you, and you’ve made it clear that you don’t feel the same way about me. And I respect that – I really do – but it’s too difficult to try and abandon my feelings when you keep on _doing_ things.”  
  
“What things?” Jamie blinked, stunned by her saying that she was trying to stop loving him.  
  
“Things like…jumping into a pond to get me out, offering me your clothes-” She flung the overcoat open in frustration for emphasis, and Jamie swallowed nervously at the sight of her in his shirt, “-sending me home-”  
  
“I always send you home!” Jamie protested indignantly, and reached over to pull the overcoat closed over her body. “And you’re wrong.”  
  
“What am I wrong about?” Pokey slumped in the seat, tired of ranting at him.  
  
“You’re wrong about how I feel about you.” Jamie said quietly, and she stared at him in disbelief. “I love you, and if you still want my heart, however unworthy it is, it is yours.”  
  
It was possibly the most eloquent thing he had ever said, and Pokey was silent for a long while. “Jamie, I know you care for me as a friend, but you don’t need to take pity on me for my feelings.”  
  
Jamie leaned forward and grasped her hands in his, gazing at her with piercing blue eyes. “I have never been more honest in my life. You know me, Pokey, and I would not lie about something as important as this.”  
  
She looked at her hands in his, and then returned his gaze with her uncertain one. “But…how? Why?”  
  
He smiled sincerely. “I never realised just how important you are to me. You are kind, funny, intelligent, beautiful, and brave enough to jump into a pond to save my nephew and niece.” He ended with a playful grin.  
  
“It was nothing.” Pokey repeated bashfully, but couldn’t seem to keep the smile off her face.  
  
“You’re also humble.” Jamie added cheekily, but then his expression sobered when she didn’t respond. “Pokey, I am sorry for taking so long to realise my feelings for you, but I need to know if you still care for me. If you do, I promise to do my best to make you as happy as possible. If you don’t, then I will work hard to improve myself and-”  
  
“I do!” Pokey interrupted him quickly, and then blushed again, which made her look particularly adorable to Jamie. “I mean- I still love you.” She admitted, earning a brilliant smile from him. “And you’ve already made me the happiest girl in the whole world.”  
  
“Even happier than that time when I asked my mother if I could adopt you into our family?” Jamie raised a brow teasingly.  
  
“Too true, that would be a very difficult occasion to outdo.” Pokey acknowledged solemnly, and gasped as Jamie pulled her into a tight hug.  
  
“We will just have to make it official, then.”


End file.
